Small Comfort
by Mistress Ivy
Summary: Mona has infiltrated a group of Hunters. But one of them seems so different... Continuation from 'Cuddles with Creatures of the Night' *Based on actual In-game events*


Mona was trying to concentrate on what she was doing. It had been a really long time since she had cleaned a gun, not since her parents were alive; not since her dad taught her the basics when she was a kid in Nebraska. She should have been paying more attention, she knew she should have. If she had been, maybe she would have actually finished before the sun set. But she just couldn't stop her eyes from making their way over to Will. As always he was sitting in his leather chair, a book open on his lap. His head was down and she could just see past his shaggy blonde hair that his glasses were slipping down his nose. Mona smiled to herself and felt her hand slip. For a moment her heart jumped in panic before she remembered that the gun was unloaded and the safety was on. Thank god. If it had been a loaded gun, she probably would have accidentally shot someone by now. It wasn't the first time her hand had slipped since starting.

She should have just given up now, but she was still desperately trying to gain the acceptance of the new group of hunters Micah had asked her to infiltrate. He had warned her that it might not be easy. This group wasn't as violent as the last, which he had apologized profusely for sending her too, but they were a tightly knit group and wouldn't trust her immediately. He had been so right. The first she had met was Brett, the groups' fighter. He had greeted her with a gun pointed at her face. Then there was his sister Lillian, some scientist. She wasn't overtly hostile but Mona had barely seen her raise her eyes from the multitude of notebooks she kept around her. They also had some smart-mouthed high school tech-genius named Hunter in the group. Yes, a hunter named hunter. He was rather bitter about that and never shut up. Lastly, there was Will, who seemed so out of place with the group. They referred to him as 'the Doc'. He had been an Anthropology professor in San Francisco before his imbuing and he was a true intellectual.

Mona realized that she had stopped trying to deal with the gun at all and now just flat out staring at Will. He seemed to suddenly realize that there were eyes on him and looked up from his book. Mona flushed and dropped her eyes, busying herself with the weapon again. She didn't know if he had caught her or not, but either way she was not going to be looking up again anytime soon. Even as she had the thought, she involuntarily glanced up at him. He was already re-engrossed in his book. Mona sighed and leaned her head back against the chain link fence she was sitting against.

"That was not smooth." Hunter's voice came from behind her. Mona gave a small squeaking noise and jumped up as she turned to face him.

"I, uh, I don't know what your talking about." She said, wishing that her voice sounded calmer.

"No? Oh, I was talking about you eye-fucking the Doc." His voice was purposely loud and Mona whipped her head around to see if Will had looked up. Luckily he was still deep in his book. Mona sighed with relief.

"What do you want?" She asked, turning back to him.

"Me? Nothing. Brett wanted to know if you were almost done with that." He nodded his head towards the gun. "I'll just tell him you got a little… preoccupied." He smirked at her and his eyes flicked over to Will. "Maybe you should find somewhere else to sit, if the Doc is going to be such a distraction." Once again Hunter had made sure to raise his voice.

"Shut up." Mona hissed. "You can tell Brett I'll be done soon. And go away. You're the only thing distracting me now."

"You want to fuck me now? Fickle, fickle librarian."

"Go!" She pointed back towards the room where he kept all his computers. Hunter laughed at her as he retreated. Mona sighed and rubbed her temples. Hunter always exhausted her. She just had no idea how to deal with his particular type of humor.

"Tiresome, isn't he?" For the second time that day Mona squeaked in surprise at a voice from behind her. She spun around and was suddenly face to face with Will. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." He looked quite apologetic as he pushed his glasses back up his nose. "I just saw Hunter harassing you and though maybe you could use some assistance. Shall I leave you to your… ahem, gun cleaning?" He glanced down at the shotgun lying on the floor where she had dropped it when Hunter startled her.

"I can't help but notice that it does seem to be taking you some time. Are you unfamiliar with firearms or is it more what Hunter said; that you are perhaps distracted by something?" He finished his sentence looking at her. Mona flushed, feeling her cheeks burning. Will gave a little laugh. "I'm teasing. You're likely just bored. I don't even know what down here could distract you." He gestured broadly around the underground complex. He was right for the most part; besides him, the complex was definitely short of things to look at. "If you want, you could always… take a break. You could come… sit with me. It's been a while since I've had truly stimulating conversation." His eyes seemed to be anywhere but on her.

"I'd like that." Mona answered, the blood rising in her face again. Mona let him lead the way back over to his makeshift office in the corner. He had set up some bookshelves around the two walls and laid down a rug, with a leather armchair centered on it. It was the sort of set-up that seemed to need a fireplace along another wall and a glass of fine scotch, perhaps even a pipe.

"Oh…" He flustered suddenly. "I'm sorry; I don't have another chair for you… Hold on." He grabbed a rolling chair from Lillian's office in the opposite corner. Mona wasn't sure when the woman had vacated her office. She had probably gone to bed and it made Mona wonder what time it was. How long had she been procrastinating over that gun? No wonder Brett had sent Hunter to check on her. And he probably gone back and said that she was out here drooling over Will or some such foolish thing.

"Please," Will said, having moved the chair near his. "Have a seat." Mona smiled and did just that, nearly losing her balance as the chair wanted to roll all around on the piece of carpet. She kept her balance and composure though. Will took his own seat and an awkward silence descended. It was clear that Will had had no plan after this point. Mona cleared her throat and Will continued to stare around the room.

"So tell me how you met the rest of this little group." Mona said suddenly. Will looked at her suddenly, almost as though he had forgotten that he had invited her to sit with him.

"Oh, ah. Yes. Well, just like most of us, I suppose. We sort of stumbled upon one another in a fight. Well… more that they were fighting something and I was driving a car very fast. And losing control. And, ahem, accidentally driving into the side of an abandoned building, hitting the vampire they were fighting." He finished the story blushing with his eyes cast to the side. Mona couldn't help the laugh that burst out of her.

"You had a hit and run with a vampire?" she gasped. Well, laughed too, a little guiltily.

"Something like that. I didn't exactly run afterwards. That would have been a very bad idea… considering that Brett had a gun against my head."

"Oh, is that how he greets all new people?"

"Well…. Yes, pretty much." Will smiled at her, making eye contact for the first time since they had sat down.

"Not all new people." Brett said, entering the room from Hunters with the teenager in tow. "Just the ones who I might need to kill. Give up on that gun did you, Mona?"

Mona looked guiltily back over to where the shotgun lay forgotten by the chain link fence. She had not even thought to pick it up once Will had started talking to her. He made her feel like a twenty-something again, in college.

"No, I just thought that…"

"I thought she needed a break." Will said suddenly, surprising Brett, it seemed. Mona realized that he probably didn't speak up to the larger man a lot.

"A break?" Brett asked, arching an eyebrow. "From that one job?"

"Erm… well… yes?" Will concluded lamely, all the fight seeming to have gone out of him after the first sentence. "I thought that we, that, uhm, that is she and I, would have a discussion?" He seemed to be asking Brett's permission.

"Ah, fuck." Hunters' sudden interjection broke the tension that had been accumulating. "I totally owe you twenty bucks. You fucking cheated." He threw his hands up, turned away and walked back to his room. A smirk crossed Brett's face.

"Yeah, have your conversation. Do whatever. Don't even worry about the gun." He laughed as he turned and picked it up, then called after Hunter. "I didn't cheat. You just suck."

"Fuck you! A fucking librarian. I should have guessed that would get to him."

Brett continued walking out after Hunter. "Just because you're attracted to bimbos doesn't mean everyone else is."

Mona could hear some more muffled words from Hunter, but couldn't make them out as Brett closed the door behind him. She turned to Will. "What was all that about?"

Will shook his head and shrugged but he was blushing profusely and Mona was certain that he had a better idea than had he was letting on.

"You know what I need?" He said, quite suddenly. Mona shook her head. "I need a drink, how about you?"

"Oh! Sure, that'd be nice." Mona didn't want to admit how nice it sounded. She had been a little bit of a drinker back in Nebraska. She got lonely and with no one to turn to, bourbon had become a good friend.

Will smiled to himself. "I'd ask you what your poison is, but I really only have one thing to offer." He reached under his chair and pulled out a bottle of fine aged scotch; Glenfiddich. The bottle had been opened and about a third was gone. "My little secret from the others." He said with a wink.

"Works for me." Mona said with a smile.

"I think I even… hold on." He got up and shuffled through a couple of shelves. "Ah, here we go!" He exclaimed and turned around with two shot glasses in hand.

"My hero." Mona said, looking up at him as he poured the first two shots.

"Oh, uhm, yes. I… I do suppose. It's nothing very elegant, but considering where we are, well, I'm afraid fine crystal is somewhat out of the question." Will flustered through the sentence before finally handing the glass to Mona and sitting back down in his chair.

"What should we toast to?" She asked.

"To secrets." He said with another wink and tossed back his shot. Mona followed suit, although a small part of her ached with guilt and for the barest second she thought about telling him about Micah, about Talley, all of it. Instead she shook her head and put her glass back down near his.

"Another?" He asked with a little glimmer in his eye, looking at her over his glasses, the first sign of mischievousness she's seen from him. She nodded and he poured again.

Several shots and a few hours later and the two of them were deep in conversation. Mona has given up on the rolling chair that had become impossible to work with after her third or so drink. Will was sprawled in his leather chair, leaning heavily on one arm while she half sat-half lay on the floor, looking up at him. She had shed her sweater sometime ago, the scotch warming her better than it ever could. Now she was just in jeans and a t shirt, her boots kicked to the side of Wills makeshift study. He was rambling about one of the offices he'd had once, back at a school in San Francisco.

"Gorgeous office!" He exclaimed. "All dark wood and comfy chairs. And the book shelves! Oh, you should have seen the bookshelves. You are the kind of woman who would have appreciated them." He was gesturing broadly, the bottle of scotch still clasped in his hand and Mona laughed, downing the last of her glass.

"Did you need another, my dear?" He asked, offering the bottle down to her. Mona shook her head, her vision swimming just a little bit more than she was prepared for and she looked back up at him.

"When did you get all the way down there anyway?" He asked and slid out of his chair to join her on the ground, leaning back against the chair. "That's better. I couldn't let a lady sit on the ground all by herself." He smiled at her, a little sheepishly and put the bottle down beside them. "Really, I should have offered my chair, but I just do so hate to give it up." He touched the fabric of the chair fondly and Mona wondered if he had taken the chair with him from a university when he had been imbued.

Mona shrugged. "'S not a big thing. Us Nebraska girls are a tough sort." She let her mid western accent come on thickly, playing it up for effect. He laughed with her and leaned away from the chair, swaying just slightly.

"Seems that way. It must be battling the elements there. I come from a small town too, and I know they don't make women like you back there, so it can't just be a small town thing."

"Women like me?" She asked, leaning in towards him. "What exactly am I like?"

"Smart." He answered quickly, then blushed. "Tough, and capable."

"Capable. That's me." Mona sighed, leaning back.

"I've upset you. I didn't mean to." Will had his head cocked slightly, looking at her. "Did I say something I shouldn't have?" She gave a small self-mocking laugh.

"No, I just don't feel capable in all this. I'm terrified all the time. It seems like just a few weeks ago I was just working in my library and then suddenly: vampires!" Mona wrapped her arms around herself, drawing her legs in closer. She hadn't talked to anyone about the fears before. Boston had been gone before there'd ever been a chance and Micah… well; Micah was technically one of the things she was afraid of. Will moved closer to her on the floor. He didn't put his arm around her, but it seemed for a moment like he considered it.

"We've all been there." He said. "When I got imbued, I drove across the country before I was able to handle it. It's why we group up. We're all afraid but hopefully together we can stay safe." He smiled at her and this time he did put an arm around her shoulders to pull her in. They stayed like that for a moment, Mona hearing the heartbeat in his chest.

"Will?" She asked quietly.

"Mmm?" He murmured.

"What were Hunter and Brett talking about earlier?"

"Oh! Uhm…" She could hear the embarrassment in his voice just from that and he lifted his arm from her shoulders to run a hand through his hair nervously. "That. Yes. Well… You see, they had a bet."

"A bet?" Mona looked up at him as his eyes flickered about the room, trying not to make eye contact with her. "What were they betting on?"

"Yes. It seems that they… well, that they were betting on whether I would… See, this is rather awkward." He was continuing to arrange and rearrange his glasses, then run his fingers though his hair, then fix his glasses again. Mona watched him, with one eyebrow slightly raised. He sighed suddenly as if defeated. "They were betting on whether I had a crush on you. I walked into their conversation the other day."

"Oh!" Of all the thing she was ready to hear, that was not what Mona had expected. "Oh… I see."

"It's stupid." He said in a rush. "Stupid and juvenile. I expect something like that from Hunter, but I can't believe that he got Brett into it." He shook his head. Mona said nothing, thinking back on what she had heard; 'A librarian. I should have known.'

"At least it seems Brett won." She said, looking over at him.

"Erm… yes. It did seem that way." He glanced down at her, realizing that she was not looking away.

"Which side of the bet do you think he was on?" She let her voice drop slightly, looking up from under her eye lashes. Will's face flushed a deep crimson.

"I might have something of a guess." He answered quietly and raised his hand to her cheek, running the pad of his thumb over her cheekbone. Mona looked up into his eyes, those deep green eyes behind his glasses. He looked more certain than she'd ever seen. Usually he was so nervous and unsure of himself but now there was a determination there. He leaned forward, his breath warm on her lips. He smelled of books and the leather of his chair and she liked it. Slowly, he touched his mouth to hers. Despite the certainty of his gaze, he was still careful and gentle. Mona shut her eyes and brought one hand around the brush against his hair, feeling the soft strands under her fingers. Will seemed to take this as permission and strengthened the kiss, his tongue tracing over her lip. Mona sighed against him as the fingertips of his other hand ghosted over her face and landed on the curve of her neck, holding her close.

How long they sat together like that, Mona couldn't have guessed. His hands cradling her face, the feeling of his mouth against hers, his hair in her fingers, seemed to stop time as they breathed as one, and held each other together for that night. After what could have been seconds or hours, Will at last pulled back. He brushed a strand of her hair back behind her ear and stood, helping her up. Mona was unsteady on her feet and for a moment longer he kept his arms around her waist, holding her close. He leaned his face atop of her head inhaling the scent of her.

"To bed with you." He murmured, releasing her and looking towards the shared sleeping quarters. "If we fall asleep here, you know Hunter would have a field day." Mona nodded, not exactly surprised by how sleep tugged at the edges of her consciousness.

"You're not coming?" She asked when Will sat back in his chair.

"Soon." He answered, smiling at her and slipping the nearly empty scotch bottle back under his chair. "Soon."

Mona nodded and made her way carefully towards the room. She paused in the doorway and glanced back. Will was sitting in his chair, a book back in its spot on his lap. He was leaned over it, once again engrossed. She smiled as she watched him, ever the academic. His glasses slipped down his nose a little and he absently pushed them back up and flipped a page quietly as Mona turned her eyes away from him and entered the other room.


End file.
